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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — certain
  3. foot — a measure
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cap — of ice
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — tied together
  8. face — to confront
  9. bound — obliged
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — part of the head

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