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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. perch — the fish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — in music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. court — of a king
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — for sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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