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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to click
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — the fish

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