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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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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: face · fine · fall · stick · firm · tear · perch · rest

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — a company
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — part of the head
  13. firm — decided
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — the season
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — steady
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — a break
  24. fall — to drop

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