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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — part of the head
  10. firm — a company
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rest — a break
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. face — to point toward

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