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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — the fish
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — to protest
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. object — an aim
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — hurry

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