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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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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: squash · tear · march · bass · dip · perch · last · ruler

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tear — from crying
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — to go on
  13. march — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. squash — the sport
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. march — the month
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — to crush
  23. perch — the fish
  24. last — final

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