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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: wave · plane · bound · rock · pitch · shower · perch · bear

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — certain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bound — obliged
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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