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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tear — to rip
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — in control
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to sink
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — bread

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