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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rock — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — finally
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to confront
  20. last — final
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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