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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: fine · band · club · mouse · hide · tube · spring · perch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — for golf
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. club — a group
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spring — of water

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