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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: bat · ruler · wake · charge · perch · calf · lash · shower

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. charge — a price
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. shower — to wash
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bat — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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