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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tube — a container
  10. cap — a hat
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — a face
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. march — music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. date — the fruit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. march — the month
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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