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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wake — a trail
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. can — a tin

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