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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · fine · lie · bass · perch · bound · bear · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — all right
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — the instrument

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