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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. perch — the fish
  23. snap — to click
  24. nail — for a hammer

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