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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: bay · trunk · bear · bat · perch · rush · bore · hide

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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