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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — to go on
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — to paddle
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. row — a line
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — the fish
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. last — final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — in a race

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