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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: dip · cell · cap · perch · shower · jam · bear · bore

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — in biology
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to tire
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bore — to drill

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