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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fine — high quality
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — for dancing
  24. perch — for a bird

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