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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — a phone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chip — to eat
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — to recline
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — there
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  18. perch — the fish
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a round shape

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