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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 · pitcher · rush · lie · bowl · land · chest · perch

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. land — ground
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bowl — a football final

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