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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
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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: perch · bear · date · face · bore · stock · wake · fall

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. face — to confront
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. stock — goods
  13. perch — the fish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — before a funeral

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