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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: object · hide · trunk · foot · spell · pop · perch · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. object — a thing
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. foot — a measure
  10. perch — the fish
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. object — to protest
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — soda

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