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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. row — a line
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — clothes
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. suit — in cards
  22. perch — the fish
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — to paddle

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