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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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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: nail · lie · perch · fan · last · track · bore · face

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. last — finally
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — to drill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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