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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — to handle
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. last — to go on

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