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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spell — letters
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce

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