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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — government
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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