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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: craft · pitcher · file · board · staff · snap · shower · perch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. file — a document
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. snap — to click
  16. craft — boats
  17. file — a line of people
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — a skill
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — employees

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