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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.

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: squash · kid · mouse · trunk · perch · pitcher · plane · leaves

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kid — child
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — in geometry

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