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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · leaves · perch · current · mouse · spring

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — the fish
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — the season
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — electric
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spring — of water
  18. 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