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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — to paddle
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a line
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tear — to rip

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