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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: lean · perch · object · squash · mouse · season · racket · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. squash — the sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. season — of the year
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — thin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. season — in sport

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