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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
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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: perch · trunk · squash · chair · game · bound · saw · hide

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — wild animals
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — to crush
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — a leader
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a professorship

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