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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. land — to come down
  4. current — electric
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to confront
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — ground
  18. perch — the fish
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. swing — to play on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — a country

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