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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — a city
  11. squash — to crush
  12. perch — the fish
  13. net — for catching
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. net — after costs
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — money
  24. perch — for a bird

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