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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: tear · lie · perch · stand · row · key · ball · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tear — to rip
  3. row — a line
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — a short time
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ball — a dance

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