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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cue — a hint
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. race — a contest
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. race — humankind
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — for pool

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