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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.

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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — thin
  5. band — a music group
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hide — to keep secret

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