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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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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: pound · suit · perch · shower · cue · spell · fall · chest

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pound — a weight
  4. suit — to fit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — magic
  7. fall — the season
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a hint
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — rain
  20. spell — letters
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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