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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.

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: pop · hide · nail · mine · perch · stick · trunk · row

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pop — to visit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — soda

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