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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: hide · suit · fork · perch · stick · cell

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — the fish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — in a road
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes

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