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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — certain
  19. ball — a dance
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — a stick

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