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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. march — the month
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — a country
  22. tube — the underground
  23. march — music
  24. stand — to bear

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