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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · toast · perch · scale · calf · cue · bay · shower

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. spell — magic
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spell — letters
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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