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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — a song
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. present — the time now
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bound — certain
  18. perch — the fish
  19. present — there
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — to rip
  24. straw — a straw man

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