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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — in music

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