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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. object — an aim
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. key — in music
  7. object — a thing
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. object — to protest
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. face — to confront
  24. lean — thin

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