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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — the fish
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rule — a law
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — government
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spell — magic
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. sharp — with an edge

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