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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — a break
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — clever
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — of a river
  24. 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