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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. shower — rain
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pop — music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pop — soda
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — for a bird

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