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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.

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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: cabinet · bore · coach · perch · wax · shower · ball · jam

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — rain
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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