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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tear — to rip
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rest — a break
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hand — help
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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