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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: face · staff · roll · fall · hide · pit · date · perch

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — to point toward
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. roll — a cake
  11. face — part of the head
  12. staff — employees
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — the season
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — to confront
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. staff — employees
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pit — a hole

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