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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: lean · perch · pass · file · pitch · clip · face · rock

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — to bend
  5. clip — a video
  6. perch — the fish
  7. clip — to cut
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lean — thin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. file — a document
  23. face — to confront
  24. rock — to move gently

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