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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — in sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — humankind
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — for catching
  12. race — a contest
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — decided
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bat — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. firm — a company
  24. bark — of a tree

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