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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — a face
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. face — to confront
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — in music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bark — to shout

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