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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chair — a leader
  14. shower — rain
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — a law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cap — of ice
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rule — to rule out

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