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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — part of the head
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — a price
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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