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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · march · racket · mouse · hide · lie · ball · perch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. march — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a dance
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — animal skin

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