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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: wake · perch · cap · lash · tear · root · lie · wound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tear — to rip
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — of a word
  20. tear — from crying
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — a hat

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