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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. band — a ring
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — to crush
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — to wash
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a music group
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lean — thin

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