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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pass — a permit
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — a hat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. perch — the fish

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