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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — the fish
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — to point toward

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