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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · perch · fine · band · current · face · toast · game

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fall — the season
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — to drop
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fine — high quality
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a music group
  19. toast — bread
  20. face — to point toward
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. toast — the most admired

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