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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.

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: content · file · leaves · bear · shower · perch · mug · squash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — the amount
  13. shower — rain
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mug — a cup
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. file — a tool

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