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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: shower · straw · saw · object · pass · wake · perch · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. shower — rain
  4. pass — a permit
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. object — an aim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. object — to protest
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. object — a thing

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