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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — an amount
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. charge — in control
  13. rash — a series
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — help
  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