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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: shower · perch · deal · bound · row · mouse · pop · safe

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — a line
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pop — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — to visit

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