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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — child
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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