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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. mug — a face
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. last — to go on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — final
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — a price
  23. last — finally
  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