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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: cabinet · shower · prune · firm · march · perch · fine · saw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — music
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — rain
  20. fine — high quality
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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