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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. face — to confront
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. content — happy

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