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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — of a word
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — the cause
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — the fish
  10. root — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — to recline
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — in sport

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