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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · racket · wind · bear · hide · hand · shower · fan

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — help

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