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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: object · lash · perch · branch · shower · race · bear · tear

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. object — to protest
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. shower — to wash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — rain
  16. tear — to rip
  17. branch — a division
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — a contest
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — an aim

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