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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: wound · lean · snap · can · cue · perch · shower · rush

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. snap — to click
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wound — an injury
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lean — thin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a hint
  24. perch — for a bird

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