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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 120 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: last · scale · bat · face · perch · mug · swing · calf

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — to point toward
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mug — a face
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. last — final
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — in music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. last — finally
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — to play on
  24. face — to confront

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