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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — size or range
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — of a word
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — the season
  21. root — the cause
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — a series
  24. scale — in music

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