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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — to eat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — to be able to
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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