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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 124 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pit — a hole
  13. plane — a tool
  14. last — final
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — to go on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. last — finally
  24. pit — in a race

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