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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spring — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — to confront
  16. spring — the season
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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