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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. march — the month
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — of the sea

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