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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: perch · lie · club · ball · toast · chair · snap · cap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — bread
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lie — to recline

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