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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: mug · board · hide · trunk · spring · wind · perch · dip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — of water
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — to rob
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mug — a face
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spring — a coil
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — to turn a key

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