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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — bread
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bark — to shout
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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