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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. hand — help
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — a song
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — to paddle
  12. suit — to fit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. row — a line
  21. track — a path
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. present — a gift
  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