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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. band — a ring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. band — a music group
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stand — for spectators

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