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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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