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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: suit · shower · face · perch · plane · date · mouse · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. shower — to wash
  3. date — the fruit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. face — to confront
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — part of the head
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — a list
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — a tool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — the fish

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