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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pass — a permit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — in control
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — part of the head
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. charge — a price
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. face — to confront
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — to point toward
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to spend time
  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