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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — steady
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — decided
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fan — to cool the air

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