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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 · saw · hide · clip · rush · mouse · wave · arm

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. clip — for paper
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hide — animal skin

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