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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to confront
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. content — the amount
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — to handle
  24. perch — for a bird

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