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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: hide · wind · cold · nail · net · mouse · perch · can

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — after costs
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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