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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: pound · row · root · scale · wake · perch · face · safe

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — the cause
  6. scale — size or range
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pound — a weight
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — to paddle
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — to confront
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. scale — in music

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