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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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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: pitcher · mark · row · track · saw · face · perch · lean

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. row — to paddle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lean — thin
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — to bend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. face — to point toward
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. track — a path
  22. row — a line
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — to confront

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