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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: wave · craft · rule · perch · cap · chest · face · can

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rule — a law
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chest — of your body
  24. face — to point toward

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