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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — a country
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — music
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. march — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — in football
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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