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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — to shout
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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