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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — to paddle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — for pool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a line
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. vault — a safe
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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