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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — to confront
  7. ground — a position
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a match
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spring — the season
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — of water
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spring — a coil

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