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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stock — goods
  6. face — to confront
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — shares
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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