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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
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: ground · leaves · perch · rash · cue · mate · season · hide

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — of the year
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mate — to breed
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ground — a position
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rash — a series
  24. perch — the fish

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