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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: fan · shower · bank · perch · content · mate · snap · current

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mate — a friend
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. current — electric
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. shower — to wash
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. content — happy
  22. snap — to click
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — the fish

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