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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — the cause
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hand — in cards
  10. sharp — clever
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. season — of the year
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — in sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hand — help
  24. root — of a plant

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