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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. branch — a division
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stand — to bear
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — a thing
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — the tool
  20. capital — money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. capital — a city
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. capital — a big letter

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