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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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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: squash · perch · shower · wake · mug · sharp · bore · rock

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. shower — rain
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. perch — the fish
  24. squash — to crush

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