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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — a position
  8. cell — in biology
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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