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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: stick · wave · wound · rock · perch · hide · temple · club

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — a stone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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