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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a hint
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — a break
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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