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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: hide · calf · perch · leaves · shower · jam · racket · track

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. shower — rain
  10. perch — the fish
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a path

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