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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: saw · mouse · race · spring · can · perch · tube · bat

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tube — a container
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bat — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. spring — of water
  19. tube — the underground
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bat — for baseball

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