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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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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: bank · bulb · face · fan · perch · kid · straw · ruler

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. face — to confront
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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