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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of law
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — the time now
  13. perch — the fish
  14. court — of a king
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — a gift
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — for sport
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. face — part of the head

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