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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a match
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — the cause
  10. face — to confront
  11. shower — to wash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — wild animals
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a plant
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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