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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · land · perch · bear · face · last · ruler · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. present — there
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — part of the head
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to point toward
  10. perch — the fish
  11. land — a country
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to confront
  21. land — to come down
  22. last — final
  23. rash — hasty
  24. last — finally

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