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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — to confront
  4. drill — army training
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. file — a document
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a line of people

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