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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — army training
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. march — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. march — the month
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — in football

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