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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spell — magic
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — high quality

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