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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — all right
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stem — to come from
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hand — help
  24. plane — in geometry

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