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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · mate · perch · tube · can · file · pit · face

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to confront
  7. perch — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tube — the underground
  14. file — a document
  15. pit — in a race
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a line of people
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — a container

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