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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: bat · fan · shower · rock · rush · perch · rash · object

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. object — a thing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — a supporter

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