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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: rule · arm · perch · season · wax · shower · bore · track

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. track — a song
  5. season — of the year
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — to keep track
  15. season — in sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rule — government
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. shower — to wash

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