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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · current · deal · lash · tube · bass · face · mouse

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. tube — a container
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bass — low music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. face — to confront
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — electric
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. current — happening now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — to handle
  24. perch — the fish

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