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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — a country
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — ground
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bank — of a river
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kick — in football
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — hurry
  24. perch — the fish

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