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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — a position
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — a face

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