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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 120 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: perch · lean · hand · lie · cap · shower · chip · fan

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — help
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cap — a lid
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cap — of ice
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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