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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — soda
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. land — to come down
  19. toast — bread
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. perch — for a bird
  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