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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.

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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chest — a box
  8. roll — a cake
  9. band — a music group
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. roll — a list
  18. bark — to shout
  19. band — a ring
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — to be able to

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