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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — there
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. present — a gift
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — the time now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — all right
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — a penalty

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