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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — in football
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. present — there
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. face — part of the head
  14. present — a gift
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to confront
  24. kick — with a leg

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