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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — tied together
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — a country
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — a measure
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hand — part of the body
  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