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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lean — to bend
  8. face — to confront
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — thin
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — decided
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — magic
  21. mine — for digging
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  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