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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. current — happening now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — a price
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tear — to rip
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cold — not warm
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bear — the animal
  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