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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — a sick person

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