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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to confront
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hand — help
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fine — high quality
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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