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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. rock — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — in football

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