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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. root — of a word
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. capital — a city
  13. vault — a safe
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. root — the cause
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cell — in biology
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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