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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: chip · hide · kick · perch · cap · trunk · ruler · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — the season
  16. cap — of ice
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — in football
  23. cap — a hat
  24. perch — for a bird

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