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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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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rush — hurry
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — a match
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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