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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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