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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.

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: rock · bass · bore · snap · perch · shower · charge · last

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. last — final
  4. rock — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — a stone
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bass — the fish
  10. last — finally
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — low music
  17. shower — rain
  18. last — to go on
  19. charge — in control
  20. snap — to click
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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