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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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