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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: face · bear · court · suit · race · hide · perch · date

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. court — of a king
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — the arms race
  21. suit — clothes
  22. race — humankind
  23. court — of law
  24. race — a contest

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