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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chair — a leader
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. date — the fruit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pop — soda
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pop — to visit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — on the calendar

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