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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to click
  15. press — to push
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ball — a great time
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ball — a round shape

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