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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — to recline

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