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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: fine · bank · deal · face · court · snap · bulb · perch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — for sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. court — of a king
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bank — of a river

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