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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — finally
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spell — letters
  14. face — to point toward
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. face — to confront
  18. last — final
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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