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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. branch — a division
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — a thing
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pit — a hole
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pit — in a race
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. temple — a place of worship

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