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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 120 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: suit · perch · shower · deal · mate · fall · charge · squash

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. shower — rain
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — a friend
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — to drop
  18. squash — the sport
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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