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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — part of the head
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. last — final
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. club — for golf
  9. last — finally
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. rash — hasty
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — to go on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — on the skin

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