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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — finally
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — a grade
  11. net — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — to go on
  14. plane — a tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — the season
  19. net — after costs
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — final
  23. firm — a company
  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