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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 120 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: cue · bulb · bear · net · wound · perch · hide · ruler

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — in sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a signal

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