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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — a short time
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. march — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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