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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.

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: perch · spring · hand · rock · shower · racket · object · can

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spring — a coil
  10. hand — help
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — a stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — rain
  20. spring — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spring — the season
  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