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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mine — for digging
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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