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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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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: face · fork · wind · rush · bulb · court · perch · hide

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — for sport

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