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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · cell · suit · shower · date · perch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. toast — bread
  6. perch — the fish
  7. suit — to fit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — rain
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — in cards
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. suit — clothes

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