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

Word bank: dip · coach · stick · object · lie · wind · perch · fine

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — all right
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — an aim
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — to protest
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — to turn a key

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