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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 · bowl · perch · bay · tube · rush · last · rock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — final
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. last — finally
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rock — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — the fish
  24. last — to go on

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