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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 120 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: mate · stick · perch · shower · pound · bass · nail · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — a friend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. shower — rain
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mate — a partner
  24. nail — for a hammer

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