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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — to point toward
  8. board — to get on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — a thing
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — a trail
  22. capital — a city
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — to protest

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