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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 120 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: suit · ball · perch · land · rule · wax · fork · hide

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. ball — a great time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — ground
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rule — government
  24. land — a country

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