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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 124 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.

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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. shower — rain
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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