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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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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: wave · pit · pop · nail · fall · racket · perch · shower

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pop — soda
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pop — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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