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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.

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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: perch · rest · spell · band · shower · mouse · chair · bore

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spell — letters
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — a break
  24. mouse — for a computer

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