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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: kick · pound · lean · squash · mouse · perch · arm · bound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bound — certain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — in football
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lean — to bend
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. arm — part of the body

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