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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tear — to rip
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fall — the season
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kick — in football
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — of ice
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tear — from crying

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