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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — in football
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — happy
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bank — of a river
  9. firm — steady
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. face — to point toward
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. firm — a company
  20. perch — the fish
  21. tear — to rip
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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