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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: board · foot · bear · perch · trunk · shower · squash · roll

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — rain
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. shower — to wash
  18. roll — a list
  19. perch — the fish
  20. foot — a measure
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. roll — a cake
  24. perch — for a bird

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