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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — the fruit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — part of the head
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. staff — a stick
  18. toast — bread
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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