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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. face — to confront
  3. land — a country
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — to rip
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. tear — from crying
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — in music
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — hasty

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