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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 112 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. tear — to rip
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kid — child
  14. mug — a face
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — of water
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a cup
  24. current — electric

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