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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — not warm
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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