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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. lean — thin
  2. track — a song
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — to rob
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — to point toward
  11. track — to keep track
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to bend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mug — a face
  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