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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 124 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — bread
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. field — a subject
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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