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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — child
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stem — to come from
  14. face — part of the head
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. board — a committee
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — of a plant

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