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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: kid · hide · temple · perch · fork · fall · ground · cue

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — child
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ground — a position
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. temple — a place of worship

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