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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: lie · spell · perch · net · tube · fine · last · kid

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — letters
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. last — to go on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — the fish
  21. net — in sport
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. net — after costs
  24. fine — all right

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