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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — in a road
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — there
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — for sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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