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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rash — hasty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. court — of law
  18. face — to confront
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. court — of a king

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