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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: game · race · bound · last · lie · perch · lean · foot

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. last — finally
  4. bound — tied together
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. race — humankind
  8. lean — to bend
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — final
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bound — certain
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — a measure
  17. race — a contest
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. game — wild animals

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