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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kick — in football
  23. perch — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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