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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — to go on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ground — a position
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — the earth
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rash — hasty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — a series
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. last — final
  24. temple — a place of worship

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