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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.

Make a worksheet

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 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — to breed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — to recline
  15. game — a match
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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