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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: kick · sharp · perch · mug · date · bulb · face · mark

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. date — the fruit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. face — part of the head
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kick — in football

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