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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.

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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: wave · capital · hide · chip · bear · perch · saw · staff

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. capital — a city
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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