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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
468
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: chest · rock · cabinet · pop · perch · shower · dip · ruler

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pop — soda
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chest — a box
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. shower — rain

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