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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.

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: perch · mouse · lie · wax · pit · hand · squash · rock

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — help
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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