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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — low music
  16. last — final
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — to go on
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. coach — a trainer

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