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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
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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: spring · lie · perch · hide · bulb · net · suit · arm

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — to fit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. net — for catching
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — of water
  24. bulb — for light

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