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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. capital — a city
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. last — final
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — to go on
  14. capital — money
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop

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