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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 120 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.

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: net · pound · perch · lie · key · mark · hide · game

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. net — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — in music

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