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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — a series
  5. perch — the fish
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to confront
  8. present — there
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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