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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. game — a match
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. root — of a word
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — the cause

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