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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — of a river
  21. perch — the fish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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