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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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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bat — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mate — a partner
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. leaves — lets stay

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