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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. row — a line
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — to paddle
  12. can — to be able to
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spell — magic
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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