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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 120 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: suit · tear · perch · craft · rock · temple · straw · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rock — a stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tear — from crying
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rock — music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. straw — dry grass

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