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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cold — not warm
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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