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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tear — to rip
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — part of the head
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. perch — for a bird

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