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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to click
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. prune — the fruit
  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