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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — the season
  5. lie — to recline
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — to be able to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — a tin

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