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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.

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: rash · hide · perch · shower · ground · wake · safe · ruler

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. shower — rain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — hasty

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