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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · dip · capital · tear · object · perch · mug · ball

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — in biology
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — a face
  10. capital — a city
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ball — a dance
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tear — to rip

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