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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.

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: face · current · land · perch · mate · straw · plane · deal

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — to breed
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — the fish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — electric
  14. land — ground
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. land — a country
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — to point toward

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