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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mark — a grade
  5. plane — a tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. game — wild animals
  24. safe — a strongbox

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