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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cell — a phone
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cell — in biology
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fall — the season
  24. mark — a trace

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