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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: key · mouse · bat · snap · mug · perch · rush · sharp

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. snap — to click
  9. key — in music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rush — a thrill

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