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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · pit · row · lean · lie · saw · content · perch

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — a hole
  3. content — the amount
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. field — farmland
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. pit — in a race
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. content — happy
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — a subject
  22. row — a line
  23. lean — to bend
  24. field — for sport

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