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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — in cards

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