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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a face
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tear — from crying
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — a stone
  10. object — an aim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. roll — a list
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — a line
  23. object — a thing
  24. mug — a cup

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