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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — child
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hand — help
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. club — a group
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — in cards
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a song
  21. club — for dancing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — for golf
  24. kid — to tease

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