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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: pitcher · perch · wave · rash · fine · foot · staff · face

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. rash — hasty
  6. face — to point toward
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — a stick
  10. perch — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. face — to confront
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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