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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mug — a cup
  6. plane — a tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — in music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — in geometry

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