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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — to point toward
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to confront
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. file — a document
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kick — a thrill

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