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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — to go on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — to come down
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. land — ground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — finally
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — for catching
  17. last — final
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. land — a country
  24. rush — hurry

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