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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. last — finally
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — a subject
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kick — in football
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. last — final
  23. dip — to dunk
  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