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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.

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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: mouse · ground · perch · firm · stand · lean · rule · hide

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — steady
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ground — a position
  17. firm — decided
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — government
  24. stand — on your feet

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