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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rash — hasty
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — a series
  23. board — to get on
  24. roll — a list

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