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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — the fish
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a hole
  15. race — the arms race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. face — to point toward
  22. race — humankind
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pound — to hit hard

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