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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a trace
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a document
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ground — crushed
  10. face — to confront
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — a grade
  23. file — a tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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