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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. march — music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — a break
  11. face — to confront
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — a tool

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