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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 124 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — a company
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — a friend
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. firm — steady
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fine — all right
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — decided
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — to confront

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