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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · calf · leaves · content · mate · perch · fan · shower

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. mate — a friend
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — rain
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. object — a thing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mate — to breed
  23. shower — to wash
  24. calf — a young animal

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