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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — to recline
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — the fish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lie — an untruth

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