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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a path
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. perch — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chest — of your body

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