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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — a gift
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. present — there
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — the season
  16. kick — in football
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — the time now
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. plane — a tool

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