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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fall — the season
  14. spell — letters
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — magic
  18. dip — to sink
  19. plane — a tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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