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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
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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: wave · stand · scale · face · bear · land · perch · spell

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. perch — the fish
  9. scale — in music
  10. face — to confront
  11. land — ground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. land — to come down
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spell — a short time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — to point toward
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. perch — for a bird

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