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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — of the year
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a line
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — to confront
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — for a computer

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