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

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — rain
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. row — a line
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — shares
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — to bend
  12. row — to paddle
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — goods
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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