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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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Word bank
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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kid — child
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kid — to tease
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — part of the body

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