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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — in control
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rest — a break
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — the most important part
  9. charge — a price
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ground — the earth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — electricity
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — for tennis

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