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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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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: clip · deal · perch · tube · pass · pit · fan · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — part of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to confront
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tube — a container
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — an agreement

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