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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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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: kick · perch · saw · coach · fall · squash · hide · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — to crush

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