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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: foot · bore · fall · rash · perch · nail · wound · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. foot — a measure
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bore — gave birth

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