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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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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. rest — a break
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fall — to drop

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