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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — there
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. perch — the fish
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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