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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. shower — to wash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — for golf
  16. foot — a measure
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rock — music

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