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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: hide · bear · field · staff · kick · land · mouse · perch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. staff — a stick
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — a subject
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — farmland
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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