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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. clip — to cut
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — help
  12. clip — for paper
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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