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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — to protest
  3. land — ground
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. object — a thing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — an aim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. land — a country
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — magic
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — in geometry

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