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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · rock · stand · face · leaves · key · squash · spring

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — the sport
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. face — to point toward
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — a stone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — in music
  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