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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — thin
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — moving air
  23. march — the month
  24. vault — a safe

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