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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — a position
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — the earth
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — there
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a bank

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