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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — the fish
  5. band — a ring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — a trail

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