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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 it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — humankind
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — magic
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. race — a contest
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — letters
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — in football
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bat — the animal

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