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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. face — to confront

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