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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
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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: present · rock · lash · march · shower · bank · perch · current

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — rain
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — the month
  19. current — happening now
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. present — a gift
  22. march — music
  23. current — of water
  24. bank — of a river

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