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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rule — government
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rule — a law
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — for digging
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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