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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 116 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: cabinet · hand · bass · bear · file · perch · ball · shower

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ball — a dance
  7. file — a line of people
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — help
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. shower — rain

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