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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: race · perch · cabinet · suit · bore · wound · sharp · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. suit — to fit
  3. race — humankind
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. race — the arms race
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to tire
  15. sharp — clever
  16. suit — in cards
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — a contest
  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