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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — a stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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