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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — the fish
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — a price
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — in control
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — a hat
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — to recline
  24. last — finally

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