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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. face — part of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — soda
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — to bend
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — to confront
  20. date — the fruit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

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