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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: firm · spell · chip · perch · hide · kid · straw · ball

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — decided
  6. kid — child
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. firm — a company
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — to tease
  20. firm — steady
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. spell — letters

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