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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: hide · bowl · chair · roll · swing · shower · craft · can

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. roll — a list
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — in golf
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. craft — boats
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a leader
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chair — a professorship

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