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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.

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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 · perch · bowl · ruler · fall · sharp · pit · rock

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — to confront
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — the season
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — a football final

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