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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tear — to rip
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — to handle
  7. object — to protest
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. object — a thing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. toast — bread
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — to sink
  24. deal — an agreement

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