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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · leaves · stock · perch · temple · sharp · bear · hide

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — the fish
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cold — not warm
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stock — goods

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