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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: board · calf · stand · hide · perch · fall · capital · root

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. root — the cause
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. root — of a word
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. perch — the fish
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — to drop

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