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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · mug · perch · stand · spring · kid · lie · pop

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — to recline
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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