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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. swing — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — to visit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. face — to confront
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wind — moving air
  12. swing — in golf
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pop — soda
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to point toward
  24. safe — out of danger

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