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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: wind · perch · wax · can · cue · shower · bay · drill

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. perch — the fish
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a hint
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cue — for pool
  17. shower — rain
  18. wind — moving air
  19. drill — army training
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wind — moving air
  24. drill — a practice

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