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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: swing · wave · mouse · tear · perch · nail · face · foot

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tear — to rip
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — a measure
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — from crying
  24. swing — in golf

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