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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — a group
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. club — for golf
  16. face — to confront
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. file — a document
  24. wind — moving air

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