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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: perch · sharp · jam · tube · face · race · suit · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — part of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. suit — to fit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — clothes
  15. face — to confront
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. race — the arms race
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. jam — in traffic

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