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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: bear · nail · rule · perch · wave · stick · hide · field

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — the fish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rule — a law
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — to keep secret

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