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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hand — help
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mug — a cup
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — a face
  14. scale — in music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — a series
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mark — to pay attention

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