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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kid — child
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. net — in sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — a hole

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