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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. shower — to wash
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — in music
  22. net — in sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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