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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. face — to point toward
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to confront
  5. field — farmland
  6. can — to be able to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — a trail
  11. season — in sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — a subject
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — for sport
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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