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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. toast — bread
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — the fish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. squash — to crush
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — a break
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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