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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rash — a series
  4. land — to come down
  5. cap — a hat
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — ground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — a country
  19. ground — the earth
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — a position

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