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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — a video
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. face — to confront
  12. clip — for paper
  13. season — of the year
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. perch — the fish
  17. season — in sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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