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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. face — to confront
  3. craft — boats
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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