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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. perch — the fish
  4. season — in sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. present — there
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — the time now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — a gift
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — a supporter

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