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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — to confront
  12. current — happening now
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. suit — in cards
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. perch — for a bird

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