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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. object — an aim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — a trainer

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