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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · ball · hide · game · rash · face · can · perch

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — a tin

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