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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cue — a hint
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — for pool
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to tire

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