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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — to go away

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