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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lie — to recline
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. present — the time now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cell — a phone
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — there
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — music
  24. firm — a company

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