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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: perch · hand · mug · cue · wound · leaves · bowl · mouse

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mug — a face
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hand — help
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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