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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — the tool
  4. present — there
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — to drop
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — to spend time

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