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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. face — to confront
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — in a race
  20. board — to get on
  21. face — part of the head
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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