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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: mouse · bulb · can · rule · dip · perch · current · lean

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rule — a law
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — government
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. perch — the fish

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