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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 120 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: coach · wind · rush · cap · perch · lie · ruler · wake

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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