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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: dip · shower · row · spell · bore · perch · jam · cue

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. shower — rain
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spell — magic
  9. shower — to wash
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bore — to drill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — letters
  23. cue — a hint
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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