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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — rain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — happening now
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. face — to point toward
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. shower — to wash
  14. perch — the fish
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. face — to confront
  21. current — of water
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to dunk

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