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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ground — the earth

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