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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. perch — the fish
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kid — child
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — a tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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