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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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