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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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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: trunk · pop · perch · nail · shower · bound · face · bass

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — rain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — certain
  13. pop — soda
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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