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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to confront
  7. firm — steady
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. face — to point toward
  17. sharp — clever
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. band — a ring
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pass — to spend time

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