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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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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 · bay · hide · perch · shower · can · game · net

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. net — in sport
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — after costs
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. can — to be able to

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