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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. present — there
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lean — thin
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. face — part of the head
  18. present — the time now
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. spell — a short time
  23. face — to point toward
  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