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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a face
  5. row — a line
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — the underground
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — a permit

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