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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.

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: perch · can · toast · hide · fine · tube · pitch · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. can — a tin
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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