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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — a contest
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — certain
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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