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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: temple · hand · face · spring · wake · firm · perch · hide

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — in cards
  4. perch — the fish
  5. face — to point toward
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — to confront
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spring — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — help
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — a place of worship

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