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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. perch — the fish
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — magic
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — letters
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — a short time
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. face — to point toward

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