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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: rush · ruler · chip · tear · fork · spell · perch · hand

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — a short time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hand — help
  13. spell — letters
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — for betting
  19. spell — magic
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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