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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 116 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
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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 · perch · field · shower · object · lean · content · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — farmland
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — thin
  7. content — the amount
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. field — for sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — a subject
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. rock — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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