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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. current — happening now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rash — a series
  5. lean — thin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — crushed
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — to bend
  10. content — the amount
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. current — electric
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — of water
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lean — to rest against

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