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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: arm · file · tear · row · bore · leaves · perch · can

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — to drill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. file — a document
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bore — to tire
  14. perch — the fish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. file — a tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — gave birth
  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