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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — the fish
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. sharp — clever
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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