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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — army training

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