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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · can · perch · bowl · fan · bark · hide · pit

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — in a race
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cold — an illness
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — to shout
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — of a tree

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