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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — rain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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