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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pop — soda
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — child

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