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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lie — to recline
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. vault — a safe
  11. clip — to cut
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — farmland
  20. clip — a video
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — for money

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