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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. charge — a price
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tear — from crying
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a great time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — in control
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tear — to rip
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — a part of something

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