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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — of ice
  8. content — the amount
  9. foot — a measure
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — videos and posts

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