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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: mark · bear · perch · mouse · prune · shower · board · wind

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. board — a committee
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  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