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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 120 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: fine · staff · club · root · object · perch · lie · spell

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — all right
  10. object — an aim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — a group
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. club — for dancing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. root — the cause

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