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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — a position
  9. face — to point toward
  10. band — a ring
  11. pass — a permit
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ground — crushed
  24. band — a rubber band

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