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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.

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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — to recline
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rest — a break
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to click
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — the fish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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