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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — obliged
  11. object — to protest
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — an aim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — a thing

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