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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — to rip
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  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