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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 it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — to rip
  3. last — to go on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. degree — an amount
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — finally
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — final
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — from crying
  23. degree — temperature
  24. tear — from crying

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