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

Word bank: tear · rock · rash · racket · chest · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — hasty

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