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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pop — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — on a roll

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