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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kick — in football
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — all right
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — a series

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