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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: wake · rush · squash · perch · temple · prune · bark · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bark — to shout
  7. squash — the sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tear — to rip
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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