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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. net — after costs

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