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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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. deal — an agreement
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — a stick
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pound — a weight
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — a gift

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