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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — a company
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. firm — steady
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rule — government
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. rule — a law
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of law

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