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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.

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 · game · lash · pass · fall · current · present · shower

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. shower — rain
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — electric
  9. present — a gift
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — there
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fall — the season
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — the time now
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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