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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.

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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.

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: lean · tube · face · dip · mark · perch · mouse · field

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tube — the underground
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lean — to bend

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