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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 · squash · row · shower · bear · perch · march · lean

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. march — music
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — the sport
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lean — to rest against

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