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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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Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — a face
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spring — a coil
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — to confront
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — of water
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to click
  24. perch — the fish

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