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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
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 · calf · leaves · current · shower · jam · bore · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bore — to tire
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — electric
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. perch — the fish
  11. shower — to wash
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. current — happening now
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cell — a phone
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cell — in biology
  24. shower — rain

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