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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. band — a ring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — the fish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a rubber band

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