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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

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