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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: squash · ruler · bat · perch · tear · chip · wax · straw

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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