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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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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chair — a leader
  5. shower — to wash
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bank — of a river
  9. object — to protest
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the sport
  24. object — an aim

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