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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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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. degree — an amount
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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