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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tear — to rip
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — of water
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — in music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. scale — size or range
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bark — of a tree

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