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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: perch · shower · snap · board · club · plane · patient · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. snap — to click
  3. fine — high quality
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — a tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — for golf
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — to get on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. club — for dancing
  24. plane — an aircraft

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