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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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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: craft · ball · rest · squash · shower · perch · present · stick

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a great time
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — a gift
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — there
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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