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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: sharp · tear · perch · squash · pop · object · coach · last

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — finally
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — final
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pop — music
  19. object — a thing
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. last — to go on
  24. tear — from crying

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