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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · hide · perch · field · ruler · kick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. firm — decided
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — a subject
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — a company
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. field — for sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — in football
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring

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