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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
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: game · mouse · spell · squash · bark · rush · perch · can

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spell — magic
  7. bark — to shout
  8. game — a match
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. game — wild animals
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — hurry

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