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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. content — the amount
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — a division
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. content — happy

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