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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 116 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chip — to eat
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — all right
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — to confront

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