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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: row · rule · bank · tear · snap · rest · perch · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — to rip
  5. row — a line
  6. rule — government
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — a group
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rest — a break
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — for a bird
  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