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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.

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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — to cut
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bear — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — electric

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