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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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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: face · perch · mate · mark · present · lie · calf · land

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. present — a gift
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lie — to recline
  6. present — there
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — a grade
  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