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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.

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 · stem · staff · bore · perch · craft · fan · shower

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rash — a series
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. staff — a stick
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. shower — rain
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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