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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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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: bear · perch · present · hide · lie · bat · mouse · straw

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — there
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — the time now
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  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