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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
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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: rule · bear · sharp · court · face · march · cabinet · perch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. rule — government
  9. court — of law
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — of a king
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. court — for sport

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