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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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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: scale · perch · shower · rule · wave · deal · rash · fall

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. shower — rain
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. scale — in music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rule — government
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fall — to drop
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. deal — to handle
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — a law
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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