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

Word bank: chest · plane · tear · face · perch · rule · bay · toast

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chest — a box
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rule — government

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