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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · bore · tear · march · hide · suit · bowl · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — the month
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — to rip
  24. march — the month

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