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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — a subject
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — farmland
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — the fish
  23. field — for sport
  24. lean — to bend

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