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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: mark · hide · cell · key · foot · perch · march · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — a grade
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. march — music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — a phone

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