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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 116 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. degree — from a university
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — a permit
  15. land — a country
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — to point toward
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. perch — the fish

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