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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — of water
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pop — music
  18. current — electric
  19. game — a match
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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