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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pop — soda
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — goods
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. plane — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pop — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — to visit
  24. face — to confront

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