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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rash — hasty
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rash — a series
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. perch — for a bird

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