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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. race — the arms race
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. key — in music
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — humankind
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — the most important part
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — for money

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