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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 116 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: track · present · perch · rash · net · hide · cold · firm

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cold — an illness
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — after costs
  9. cold — not warm
  10. perch — the fish
  11. track — a path
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a song
  15. net — for catching
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. net — in sport

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