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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — to confront
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — completely

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