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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · mine · perch · jam · cabinet · hide · chest · lean

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. net — for catching
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lean — thin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — after costs
  23. lean — to rest against
  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