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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — a measure
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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