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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. staff — a stick
  4. swing — to play on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lie — to recline
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. face — to confront
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — in golf

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