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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.

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: lean · object · tube · stick · spell · mouse · dip · perch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — the fish
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — a short time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. perch — for a bird

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