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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a line of people
  24. prune — to trim

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