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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. perch — the fish
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a signal

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