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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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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: perch · bear · saw · kick · charge · face · rest · firm

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — a company
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — in football
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — a price
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rest — a break
  14. charge — in control
  15. firm — decided
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — steady
  24. face — to point toward

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