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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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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: branch · wave · wind · mine · rash · perch · dip · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — a division
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — a series
  19. wind — moving air
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — of the sea

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