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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 120 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: face · perch · current · row · saw · mouse · kick · spell

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. row — a line
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — electric
  11. perch — the fish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. spell — magic
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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