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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.

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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: file · saw · perch · mouse · hide · row · racket · ruler

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. perch — for a bird

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