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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · lean · date · object · shower · perch

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — rain
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — magic
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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