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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 120 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: mate · face · hide · racket · pass · snap · perch · arm

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — the fish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — to breed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. face — to confront
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. racket — for tennis

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