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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — a video
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chair — a leader
  15. clip — to cut
  16. tear — to rip
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rest — a break
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — to roll

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