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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bound — certain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. charge — in control
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rock — music

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