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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. face — to point toward
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — for pool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — the season
  21. face — part of the head
  22. clip — a video
  23. face — to confront
  24. perch — for a bird

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