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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. current — of water

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