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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mark — a grade
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mate — a friend
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — part of the head
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. face — to confront
  21. mate — to breed
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — from crying

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