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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. present — the time now
  3. date — the fruit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cell — a phone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — humankind
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. race — a contest
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. date — on the calendar

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