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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. game — wild animals
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — thin
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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