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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: shower · bore · ball · pit · calf · perch · fine · wave

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. shower — rain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bore — to drill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. perch — the fish

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