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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bat — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

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