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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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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: deal · hide · lie · cell · content · foot · object · perch

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. content — happy
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — to protest
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cell — a phone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — the bottom

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