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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. fine — high quality
  5. drill — army training
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fine — all right
  10. drill — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. key — in music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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