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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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468
Word bank
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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — a permit
  3. face — part of the head
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — to confront
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rock — music
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. face — to point toward
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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