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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: perch · root · mark · content · swing · row · face · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rock — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. face — to confront
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. perch — the fish
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a word
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — the cause
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — in golf
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. swing — music
  24. row — a line

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