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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. face — to confront
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — part of the head
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pit — in a race
  15. plane — a tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a word
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. face — to point toward

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