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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. object — a thing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — a trail
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — the fish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — a position
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — crushed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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