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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. face — to confront
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — to point toward
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to drill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — a leader
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. perch — for a bird

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