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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — a partner
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mate — a friend
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. race — the arms race
  14. kick — in football
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. race — humankind
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bore — gave birth

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