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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — thin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — a cup
  14. march — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mug — a face
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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