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

Word bank: perch · race · rest · dip · suit · tear

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. 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. race — a contest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rest — a break
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — clothes
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — to fit
  10. race — humankind
  11. perch — the fish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rest — what's left
  18. 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