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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: perch · suit · lie · ground · ball · march · trunk · shower

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — in cards
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. perch — the fish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a great time

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