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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. face — to confront
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ground — a position
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ground — crushed
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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