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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. row — a line
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mine — for digging
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a lid
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — decided

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