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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. chest — a box
  11. hand — help
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — of a tree

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