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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: wound · shower · scale · bore · plane · perch · rash · deal

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rash — a series
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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