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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: leaves · sharp · hide · perch · hand · ball · cabinet · toast

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — the fish
  10. hand — help
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. toast — bread
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ball — a dance

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