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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.

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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: face · date · mug · lash · current · perch · degree · pop

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mug — a cup
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pop — to visit
  10. current — of water
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to confront
  14. mug — to rob
  15. current — electric
  16. pop — soda
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. degree — an amount
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. degree — from a university

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