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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 · shower · perch · charge · bat · bound · mouse · calf

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bound — certain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — the animal

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