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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a line of people
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a document
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. stem — to come from

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