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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 120 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: hide · foot · calf · key · wake · game · perch · cold

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. game — wild animals
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cold — an illness
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cold — not warm
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — a match
  24. key — in music

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