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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. last — to go on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. last — final
  13. mug — to rob
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to confront
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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