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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: plane · kid · bear · perch · wave · tear · lie · wax

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — to grow
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — child
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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