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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — of water
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spring — a coil

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