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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 120 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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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 · rash · cap · pit · chest · face · staff · key

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — to confront
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chest — of your body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — a box
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. key — in music

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