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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bark — to shout
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pop — soda
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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