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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.

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: mouse · wave · rash · bore · prune · ball · perch · bat

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rash — a series
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  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