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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — a weight
  15. track — a path
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — a song
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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