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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.

Make a worksheet

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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. scale — size or range
  13. face — to point toward
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to confront
  20. game — wild animals
  21. face — part of the head
  22. scale — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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