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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — a list
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a cake
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hand — help
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — in cards

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