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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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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: deal · lie · net · roll · kick · perch · march · shower

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. march — the month
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. roll — a cake
  10. kick — in football
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. net — after costs
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a list
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — to handle
  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