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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — a box
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — the time now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — the fish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. root — of a word
  20. chest — of your body
  21. present — there
  22. root — the cause
  23. game — a match
  24. rule — a law

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