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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — a partner
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a friend

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