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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. game — a match
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lie — to recline
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — to rest against

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