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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: present · spring · spell · kick · lie · wave · perch · pitcher

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — letters
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spring — a coil
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spring — of water
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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