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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · tube · bat · lie · firm · saw · lash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. firm — steady
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. firm — decided
  6. tube — a container
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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