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

Word bank: band · perch · dip · rule · chest · tear · snap · wave

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. perch — the fish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to click
  6. dip — to sink
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chest — of your body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a music group
  20. rule — government
  21. tear — to rip
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — a law

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