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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — crushed
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. court — for sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  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