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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 · perch · ground · season · fork · safe · toast · branch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fork — in a road
  6. face — to point toward
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — bread
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — part of the head
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — to confront
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. perch — the fish
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. season — to add flavour

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