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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: mouse · cap · wound · squash · hand · perch · chip · bulb

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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