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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — certain
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hand — help
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — the season

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