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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: court · lean · perch · fine · face · snap · board · key

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — the fish
  4. court — of law
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to point toward
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. key — in music
  9. face — to confront
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — of a king
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — to get on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — a committee

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