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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: rest · saw · bay · shower · tear · pit · perch · race

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pit — a hole
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. tear — to rip
  15. race — a contest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. shower — rain
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — the tool
  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