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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 116 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: rash · mouse · object · perch · fall · bowl · stick · bore

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — a series
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — a thing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — to tire
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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