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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — clever
  6. toast — bread
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. march — the month
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — to recline
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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