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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: cue · content · face · bulb · bear · wake · perch · row

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. content — the amount
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. face — to point toward
  14. content — happy
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to confront

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