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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: fall · perch · wake · lean · pound · mouse · mug · spring

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fall — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mug — a face
  20. pound — a weight
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pound — to hit hard

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