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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. row — to paddle
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — thin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a path
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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