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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.

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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: band · kid · face · staff · perch · wave · last · bore

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — to point toward
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. face — part of the head
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — the fish
  19. last — finally
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. band — a music group
  24. kid — child

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