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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: present · can · tear · perch · rock · key · row · saw

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. present — there
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — a gift
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rock — music
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — a stone

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