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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a city
  6. cold — not warm
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fall — the season
  10. perch — the fish
  11. capital — money
  12. present — the time now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — there
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lie — to recline
  23. present — a gift
  24. cold — an illness

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