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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — to rip
  7. face — part of the head
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — wild animals
  18. tear — from crying

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