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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. clip — a video
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. clip — for paper
  8. perch — the fish
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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