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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: pound · rock · spell · hand · bat · plane · mouse · perch

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — magic
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — letters
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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