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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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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: jam · face · perch · wave · tear · rock · fine · date

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rock — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fine — all right
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to confront
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wave — with your hand

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