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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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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: net · lie · mate · wound · firm · shower · row · perch

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — in sport
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — an injury
  18. row — a line
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. net — for catching
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. firm — a company

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