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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: tear · pit · kick · temple · lie · perch · row · suit

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tear — from crying
  4. row — a line
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — to recline
  19. kick — in football
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. perch — for a bird

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