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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — a signal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. face — to confront
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cue — for pool

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