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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. object — a thing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a line
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — rain
  20. bass — low music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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