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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — for sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — clothes
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bark — to shout
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cabinet — ministers

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