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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.

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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 · snap · pitch · tube · shower · stick · straw · patient

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — rain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tube — a container
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. snap — to click

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