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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: mouse · perch · bulb · staff · last · chair · face · pound

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. last — finally
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — part of the head
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — to go on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. last — final
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chair — a leader
  24. perch — the fish

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