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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 120 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: squash · foot · chip · perch · chest · suit · rush · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — clothes
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — a measure
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chest — a box
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chest — of your body

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