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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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 — the time now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — in a road
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — music
  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