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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — of ice
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wake — a trail
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cap — a lid
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a tree

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