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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: wake · nail · roll · lie · rash · perch · face · season

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — a series
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — a trail
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rash — hasty
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — to recline

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