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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.

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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: bulb · cap · arm · perch · pound · net · face · fall

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — to point toward
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — of ice
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — for catching
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to confront
  24. arm — part of the body

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