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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — not warm
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — for a bird

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