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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tear — to rip
  4. branch — a division
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — a trail
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tear — from crying
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — a friend

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