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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bound — tied together
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — a line
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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