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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: bay · last · face · perch · can · foot · staff · trunk

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. perch — the fish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. face — to confront
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — a measure
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. staff — a stick
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. last — finally
  24. face — part of the head

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