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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 116 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: club · wind · can · perch · face · wake · stand · saw

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — to be able to
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wind — moving air
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to confront
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — a group
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for golf

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