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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: fine · hide · toast · ground · shower · suit · perch · mine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — a position
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ground — the earth
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — bread
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — the fish
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — all right
  24. suit — in cards

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