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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.

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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 · chip · object · fall · row · mate · leaves · shower

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. object — a thing
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. chip — for betting
  17. object — to protest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mate — a friend

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