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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · game · wake · perch · date · bank · ruler · mug

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bank — of a river
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. game — a match
  24. perch — the fish

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