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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: lie · bark · shower · rest · mate · perch · sharp · can

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — rain
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — to be able to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. shower — to wash
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — a break
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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