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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: ruler · chest · perch · cabinet · toast · mouse · tube · can

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — the underground
  10. toast — bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. perch — the fish
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — a box

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