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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to click
  5. cap — of ice
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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