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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — to bend
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lean — thin
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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