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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: foot · can · lie · drill · perch · court · land · rest

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. land — a country
  19. foot — a measure
  20. land — to come down
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — for a bird

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