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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · chest · perch · leaves · rush · dip · spring · lie

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spring — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mug — a face
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — of water
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chest — a box
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — to recline

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