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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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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: swing · drill · snap · face · perch · mark · squash · fall

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — the fish
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — army training
  7. swing — in golf
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — a grade
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. swing — to play on
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the 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