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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. ground — the earth
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. firm — a company
  10. face — part of the head
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — steady
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — decided
  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