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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 120 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — a committee
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — steady
  16. wind — moving air
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. firm — decided
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — exactly

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