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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cue — a hint
  16. tube — a container
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rule — government
  23. root — the cause
  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