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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.

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: spell · pound · perch · ball · rush · shower · mouse · patient

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. shower — rain
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — to wash
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rush — hurry
  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