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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: perch · straw · spring · temple · shower · wave · prune · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — of water
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — a coil
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. shower — rain
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wave — of the sea

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