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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to bend
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — a thing
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lean — thin
  10. mate — a partner
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a trace
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mate — a friend

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