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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: present · bore · snap · cap · shower · key · mate · perch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — to breed
  3. present — the time now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — rain
  13. key — in music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. perch — the fish
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — there
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — of ice
  20. key — for a lock
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — a partner

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