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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — goods
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — a trail
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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