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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — a tool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — in music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. trunk — of a car

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