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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. face — to point toward
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a document
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — to breed
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — the fish

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