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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bark — to shout
  4. net — for catching
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pop — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — in sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — soda
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. face — part of the head

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