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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a word
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. face — to point toward
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spell — magic
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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