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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — a thing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. suit — in cards
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — clothes
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com