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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — for catching
  10. spring — of water
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. last — finally
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — in sport
  19. mug — a face
  20. last — to go on
  21. net — after costs
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — final

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