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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.

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
468
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 · ball · chest · perch · wave · mug · bound · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a dance
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — obliged
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. face — part of the head
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mug — a face
  19. bound — certain
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — to confront
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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