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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. capital — money
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. perch — the fish
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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