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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — humankind
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — to protest
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. object — an aim

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