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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.

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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — government
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rock — a stone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — a law
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. face — to confront

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