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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — in music
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — a leader
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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