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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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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: saw · calf · foot · perch · pop · lean · march · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — to confront
  6. march — the month
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. saw — the tool
  23. march — music
  24. face — part of the head

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