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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — a break
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. march — music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rest — what's left

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