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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: field · arm · dip · lie · can · perch · bay · ball

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — for sport
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — a subject
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a dance

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