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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — of water
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — the fish
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spring — a coil
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — for a bird

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