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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — the time now
  13. club — a group
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — a series
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for golf
  24. bank — of a river

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