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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. face — part of the head
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — to confront
  7. pit — in a race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. press — to push
  13. chip — to eat
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. scale — in music
  24. perch — the fish

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