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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — of law
  4. toast — bread
  5. mate — a partner
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. net — after costs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chest — of your body
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. net — for catching
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — to recline

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