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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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Word bank
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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. snap — to click
  8. rock — music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. capital — a city
  13. face — to point toward
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. capital — money
  23. face — part of the head
  24. 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