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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a face
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. foot — a measure
  19. march — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. face — part of the head

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