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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 · jam · spring · march · wave · perch · ruler · can

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tear — from crying
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. march — music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tear — to rip
  18. perch — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — the season

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