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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — a line
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — letters
  21. rest — a break
  22. march — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — a tool

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