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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — magic
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — to confront
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to click
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — to point toward
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — the fish
  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