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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rest — a break
  7. lie — to recline
  8. charge — a price
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — in control
  14. march — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — electricity

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