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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: ruler · mate · field · perch · foot · trunk · deal · hide

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — farmland
  8. mate — to breed
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. field — for sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mate — a friend
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — to handle
  24. 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