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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: tear · ruler · rush · temple · pound · chest · perch · pitcher

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tear — to rip
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — from crying

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