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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 112 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. march — music
  10. swing — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — a stick
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. swing — in golf

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