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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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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: tear · rock · dip · object · trunk · perch · bay · rush

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — a thing
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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