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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 116 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: perch · lash · cap · tear · root · shower · bulb · stand

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. shower — to wash
  11. tear — to rip
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — a lid
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — rain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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