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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — a division
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. march — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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