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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.

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: land · leaves · perch · current · mouse · spring · saw · spell

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. land — to come down
  4. spring — of water
  5. perch — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — of water
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — ground
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — letters
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. spell — magic
  24. leaves — to go away

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