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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bound — obliged
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to point toward
  5. field — farmland
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — tied together
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — a subject
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kick — with a leg

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