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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pit · hide · perch · firm · wound · nail · foot · hand

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. firm — steady
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. firm — decided
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — in a race

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