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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: scale · shower · bear · file · rash · perch · roll · hide

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — rain
  6. file — a tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. roll — a list
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a document
  19. perch — the fish
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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